Synopsis: This webinar is an opportunity for anyone interested in the benefits of journaling as a support for ED healing to see in more detail why the art journaling option can be a powerful 'other voice in the room' for group discussion, and for internal change for the art-maker.

The presentation is comprised of an overview of presenting challenges for people with an ED, then a discussion of why art journaling, and finally illustrations of the work, giving examples of art journaling invitations that can foster self-awareness, self efficacy and/or healing.

Title: Too Fat to Fit: Examining Fat, Fear and the Role of Size Acceptance

Presenters: May Friedman, MSW, PHD and Sabrina Friedman, MSW, RSW

May Friedman, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Ryerson University
Sabrina Friedman, Social Worker

Synopsis: The meaning of fat is in constant flux. Why do we understand fat as bad? At a closer look, one finds that fatness is geographically, temporally, racially, politically, socio-economically and culturally constructed across various media. Who is fat and what constitutes fatness? Is it a number on a scale or a BMI measurement? Is it a quantitative, treatable illness or a qualitative, lifelong accumulation of experiences?
This presentation aims to consider the prevalence of taken for granted truths about fat bodies and health and specifically the ways that a fear of fat may have broad societal impacts on people of all sizes. We will connect the ways in which this modern "fat witch hunt" can contribute to disordered eating, especially when examined through widely accepted beliefs and understandings about diet/"thinspiration"/"fitspiration" culture.
Led by an academic researcher and a former service provider, we will explore popular myths about fat and their implications for healthcare, service provision and individuals affected by disordered eating. We will include examples of fat-positive interventions in traditional health and community service settings.
By looking at fat as a relevant and controversial identity experience, we aim to explore the intersections and interstices between how we are seen and how we are treated; between who we are and who we are presumed to be.

Title: Beyond Images: An Introduction to the Grade 4-8 Curriculum With Heather and Helen

Presenters: Helen Vlachoyannacos and Heather Thompson

Heather Thompson is an Elementary teacher who works in the Peel District School Board, and is currently serving as a Vice President with the Peel Elementary Teachers’ Local. Heather has previously worked as an Early Literacy Teacher, Teacher-Librarian, and primary grade teacher in the Peel Board, and has integrated her love for literacy with her passion for promoting positive body image and self-esteem in the students she teaches. She has co-written several resource documents, including the Beyond Images curriculum for NEDIC, and the Reflections of Me curricula for the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.
Helen Vlachoyannacos is presently a Grade 7/8 teacher at Knob Hill PS with the Toronto District School Board. As a writer and facilitator for the ETFO Reflections of Me body-image project, Helen has facilitated the implementation of ETFO’s Reflections of Me on a school-wide level, supporting the work with students and staff. She is also one of the writers of Beyond Images, a Grade 4-8 curriculum created by NEDIC with the support of the Dove Self-Esteem Project. Her present focus is to work with intermediate students to build resiliency and positive self-esteem. In addition, Helen is looking at how to build community involvement and be inclusive of the voices of parents, families and community members with the issue of body image.

Synopsis: Poor body image and self-esteem in youth can significantly impact their ability to interact with their world and pursue academic, social and economic opportunities. Building resilience and developing critical media literacy skills are two key components of teachers' toolkits for supporting today's youth. Beyond Images is a grade 4-8 curriculum that invites youth to engage in the world of media on their terms! Students learn how media messages are constructed both mechanically and symbolically - then learn to make their own media messages about beauty beyond the obvious. Revised in 2016 to include recent developments like the growth of social media, Beyond Images explores current concepts of male and female beauty and what it means to "fit in", helping students understand and develop resilience against negative messaging. Join two of the educators who created the Junior-Intermediate curricula as they share with you some of the ideas, strategies and resources that educators need in their classrooms today!

Presenter: Christina Hyland
Christina is a second-year doctoral student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Christina’s scholarship focuses on the mental health implications of food insecurity and eating disorders as experienced by marginalized youth populations. Christina continues to practice as a clinical social worker, registered holistic nutritionist, reiki practitioner as well as a community-based coordinator/activist in the field of eating disorders across the GTA and Halton region. Her previous position as a part-time professor at Tyndale University and College provided her with the opportunity of teaching several courses in social work, sociology, social welfare and advanced studies in women’s health. Her passion in the field of eating disorders stems not only from her community work as a social worker, but is also informed by her own childhood struggles along with having an extensive intergenerational family history of eating disorders.

Synopsis: There has been a growing recognition of the diversity of those who struggle with eating disorders across age, gender, sexuality, ability, race, class, body size and other lines of identity. Yet there remains a lack of research and understanding surrounding food insecurity and the impact this has on diverse, marginalized populations with eating disorders. With 4 million individuals living in situations of food insecurity in Canada, many of whom endure significant forms of poverty, homelessness and/or street involvement, a greater recognition and understanding is required in how this relates and intersects with issues of eating disorders. For instance, low referral rates of marginalized populations with eating disorders continues to persist due to pervasive biomedical and societal misconceptions of eating disorders as an middle-to-upper class, white, female issue. Consequently, those who do not fit such ‘typical’ patient profiles are often screened out of service access. This impacts how individuals interpret their struggles and need for support, and limits how professionals understand the experiences of diverse populations with eating disorders, including those who are food insecure. This seminar therefore aims to highlight such realities and the existing literature on intersectional inequalities faced by diverse food insecure populations with eating disorders in Canada. To do so, Christina will touch upon the findings of her previous research and case stories from her clinical work in the field of adolescent mental health and food insecurity.

Title:Beyond Images: Weaving Body Image into the ClassroomPresenter: Heather Thompson, OCT and Helen Vlachoyannacos, OCTSynopsis: This session will provide an introduction to the subject of body image, and share tips for educators who wish to weave it into the classroom. Heather Thompson and Helen Vlachoyannacos wrote the Beyond Images curriculum for NEDIC, and will share their advice and perspectives on teaching body image to youth. They will also introduce the newly-revised Beyond Images curriculum, which is complete tool for educators and meets curriculum expectations for grades 4-8 across Canada. YouTube Link:https://youtu.be/o8U5cDzx8UQView the slides.

Title: Eating Disorder Prevention Research: Current State, What's Working, What's NextPresenter: Dr. Jennifer MillsSynopsis: This webinar will review the current state of eating disorder prevention research, what has been shown to work, and where future research efforts appear to be heading. We will also discuss in detail the results of a study done in collaboration between York University and NEDIC. In it, we examined adolescent and young adult women’s opinions of commonly used eating disorder prevention messages. We found some significant and interesting effects around the age of participants. We also sought the opinions of women with a current eating disorder, since their personal experience might give them unique insight into the development of disordered eating behaviours. Participants shared with us their opinions about how prevention efforts could be more useful. We will discuss how the results of our study could be translated into improving eating disorder prevention campaigns. Dr. Jennifer Mills is a full-time Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University. She conducts research on body image and eating disorders, and has received research funding from Women’s College Hospital, SSHRC, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. She is a Registered Psychologist and has a part-time private practice in Toronto where she treats clients with eating and associated disorders. Shasha Tse is a doctoral student at OISE at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include body image, eating disorders, and substance use.

Title: Managing Diabetes with a Mindful Eating ApproachPresenter: Kori Kostka RDSynopsis: Is it possible to manage your blood sugar levels without the fear of food, and the preoccupation with carbohydrates, sugar, calories, portions, etc.?! In our fast pace environment, managing our blood sugar may feel like another full-time task on top of your already busy life! Using a mindful approach, it can help to lower the burden and stress of diabetes and find a way to re-look at living with diabetes in a practical way that works for you. Join us for this mindful approach to eating, moving your body and feeling great while living with diabetes!

Title: Weight Loss? It’s the Dieting Mentality We Need to LosePresenter: Kori Kostka RD, Dr. Doron Eisen, Claudia Mariano NPSynopsis: This session will: review the impact of a weight-based approach on patient care and health outcomes; and challenge participants by presenting a new paradigm using Health At Every Size(R) from a family physician, nurse practitioner and registered dietitian perspective for weight management referrals which can transform patients and health teams. Also the presenters will comment on the challenges and possible solutions for implementing this approach in a team based environment.

Title: In the Gaze of OthersPresenter: Eva Pila MScSynopsis: Social psychologists have long known that humans have an inner drive to appear positively to others. In our appearance-obsessed society, this desire to present positively and impress others can be problematic, especially when we feel we are not meeting societal standards of beauty. In light of this, researchers are studying social physique anxiety – a type of anxiety that occurs when we believe that others are negatively evaluating our physical appearance.

Anxiety around our physique can adversely impact decisions in our social life and treatment of our bodies. In fact, social physique anxiety is closely tied with the incidence and maintenance of eating disorders and highly prevalent in contexts where the body is on display. It is no surprise that individuals involved in competitive aesthetic contexts like gymnastics, dance, and beauty pageants show some of the highest rates of eating disorders.

In this webinar, Eva will review the latest research on social physique anxiety in exercise, sport, and physical education and discuss its impact on eating disorders. The webinar will include evidence-based strategies to reduce body-related anxiety that can be applied by parents, teachers, fitness instructors and health professionals.

Title: Clinical Narratives from Sheena’s PlacePresenter: Deb Berlin-Romalis MSW, RSWSynopsis: For almost 20 years, Debbie Berlin-Romalis has facilitated support groups at Sheena’s Place, a non-residential, non-institutional centre for individuals, families, and friends affected by eating disorders. Through her clinical work and observations, Debbie has developed “trademarked concepts” that illustrate and highlight specific phenomena related to the social determinants of health and the onset and development of eating disorders.
In this webinar, Debbie will deconstruct the following three concepts:

Juicy Love, which describes the recipe for a healthy and resilient child and the consequences of not raising a child in a safe living environment.

Busted Radar, which explains the neurobiological development adaptation in trauma survivors with a specific focus on “re-training” the brain.

Crumb Theory, which reviews the “historical” psychology of women and its relationship with today’s women and girls “settling for less” in their personal and professional lives.

Title: Don’t Eat That, You’ll Get FatPresenter: Susan Osher MSc, RDSynopsis: Educators and caregivers often try to protect children from falling victim to the “obesity epidemic”. Although they may have the best intentions, their attitudes toward food and weight may actually increase the risk of eating disorders and poor body image of the children in their care. In this webinar, Susan Osher will discuss the latest research and share her clinical experience on creating a positive and nurturing food environment. She’ll focus on strategies that empower and educate children so that they are able to nourish themselves with self-love. Clinicians, teens, and parents alike will benefit from her introduction to guilt-free eating, which finds the balance between healthy foods and fun foods!

Title: Eating Disorders and FertilityPresenter: Alma Naddafi, RN (EC), MA Ed, ACNPSynopsis: People with eating disorders frequently experience menstrual irregularities and difficulty with conception. They often have concerns about gaining weight and a phobia of pregnancy. Among health care professionals, it is commonly agreed that the presence of an active eating disorder is a contraindication for pregnancy and fertility treatments. If pregnancy does occur, it imposes a tremendous physiological and potentially psychological stress on the patient and a multidisciplinary approach is imperative to promote the best possible outcome for both mother and child.

During this webinar Alma Naddafi will discuss the impact that eating disorders can have on fertility and infertility, and focus on how clinicians and eating disorder patients can be mindful of these impacts while working toward full healthy recovery. Clinicians, patients and family members alike will benefit from this introduction to the intersections between menstrual cycling, fertility and eating disorders.

Title: Growing up in a weighted world: helping youth navigate size bias and health mythsPresenter: Stephanie Massey ~ Elaine Cole ~ Lori Short-Zamudio ~ Michelle Pitman ~ Bronwen TuckSynopsis: Studies show that children and youth are particularly vulnerable to developing negative body-image and unhealthy relationships with food after being teased or judged about their weight and appearance. Often, they face increasing pressure from adults and peers alike to maintain a ‘healthy’ weight. But what is a healthy weight, anyway? And what are some of the implications for kids and teenagers of the many and often confusing messages they get about how to look, what to eat, and ways to be healthy? At a time when kids are increasingly anxious about appearances and fitting in, it’s more important than ever to have open conversations to support their healthy and happy development.
In this webinar we will hear from a mother, a teacher, a registered dietician and a fitness instructor. Join us as they weigh in on how best to support positive body-image in youth while breaking down myths about health, weight, and physical development.
Technical difficulties caused the webinar recording to begin about 30 minutes into the presentation, but the remainder of the event was captured. An audio recording of the full event was also captured, which you can obtain via dropbox.

Title: The Best of Two Worlds: Integrating Emotion-Focused Family Therapy and the New Maudsley Approach in the treatment of eating disorders across the lifespanPresenter: Dr. Joanne Dolhanty, PhD, C. Psych, Dr. Adele Lafrance Robinson, PhD, C. PsychSynopsis: There has been a call in the eating disorders field for new approaches to treatment, and specifically for greater family involvement in treatment. This webinar responds to that need by giving an overview of the integration of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy and the New Maudsley Approach, offering a novel approach to eating disorder recovery and to the role of families in that recovery. Dr. Robinson and Dr. Dolhanty will outline the ways in which the two models are similar, and the unique contributions that each has brought to the integration. Clinicians viewing this webinar will learn to utilize new ways of involving the families of those living with eating disorders as critical partners in care, helping families to replace the therapist in many if not all of the tasks involved in facilitating their loved one’s recovery, regardless of the age of the individual afflicted.Presentation Slides:View here.

Title: Clinical Implications of Eating Disorders in Women with Physical DisabilitiesPresenter: Dr. Jennifer Milles, Kaley RoosenSynopsis: When most people think about women struggling with eating disorders, women with physical disabilities are rarely considered. Despite the fact that studies and clinical observations have suggested that women with physical disabilities are actually at increased risk for developing an eating disorder. This lack of awareness has had significant implications in that there has been limited research and clinical information on how to best prevent and treat these issues. This webinar will discuss the role of physical disability in the development, maintenance, and treatment of disordered eating in women. Join Dr. Jennifer Mills and Kaley Roosen as they identify the severity of disordered eating within the population of women with physical disabilities, and discuss possible differences in how eating disorders manifest in this population. The talk will conclude with specific suggestions for preventing and treating eating issues for women with physical disabilities based on a clinical case study of a woman with Cerebral Palsy and Anorexia Nervosa.

Title: Health at Every Size (HAES) ® A non-weight based approach to a healthier lifestylePresenter: Kori Kostka RDSynopsis: Confused about what defines a healthy weight? Many of us are, given the bombardment of messages telling us that thinner bodies are healthier, more beautiful and are passports to success in all areas of our lives. These messages are partly driven by $65 BIILLION (and growing) diet industry and the public health messages about the “obesity epidemic”. Despite more children, men and women than ever being on diets, we’re not getting any thinner. Research evidence is mounting that in addition to being ineffective - with 95% of individuals who diet regaining the lost weight, and sometimes more - dieting can be harmful to overall health and wellbeing.
Health At Every Size (HAES)® is an alternative paradigm to the traditional weight focused approach. Join Kori Kostka as she discusses her experience using this non-weight biased paradigm to help individuals build a positive body image, enjoy food, and discover the pleasure of moving their body to attain a sustainable, life-affirming and health providing outcome.

Title: Beyond Images: Toward Healthier Body Image Experiences in SchoolsPresenter: Helen VlachoyannacosSynopsis: Studies show that how we feel about our bodies affects how we do socially, academically and physically. Understanding how body image is impacted in the school environment is fundamental to building resilience and positive self-esteem. Join Helen Vlachoyannacos in exploring school-based experiences of body image and how to build resilience and self-esteem in the whole school community. Helen will address how to build community around body image issues among educators, parents, families and community members.

Title: Reshaping Males Body-Image: How the Fitness Industry Can Help or HarmPresenter: Jay WalkerSynopsis: A personal trainer who has recovered from an eating disorder, Jay Walker brings a unique perspective to his work in body-image and fitness. Jay brought his expertise to the NEDIC Body-Image and Self-Esteem 2013 conference as a panelist, is a regular contributor and coordinator for the NEDIC blog, and spoke publicly this year about his recovery for Bell Let’s Talk Day on MuchMusic. Jay hopes to help people understand how the fitness industry can impact men’s relationships with their bodies, challenging misconceptions about health and recovery along the way. Jay hopes this webinar will also help individuals in recovery, or with a loved one dealing with an eating disorder.

Title: Women on the autism spectrum and eating disorder: Implications for treatmentPresenter: Dori Zener, MSW, RSWSynopsis: Dori Zener is an Individual, Couple and Family Therapist at the Redpath Centre and a Social Worker in the Child Development Program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Dori has been working with families impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities for over ten years. At Holland Bloorview she provides support to families after a new diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. She spearheaded the implementation of Stepping Stones Triple P at Holland Bloorview, an evidence-based parenting program that increases parenting confidence and reduces challenging behaviour in children with disabilities. Dori is actively involved with interprofessional education. She collaborated with professionals across the GTA to develop "Perspectives," an education program for interdisciplinary health care students to learn about providing collaborative care for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders and developmental disabilities across the lifespan. Dori has been interviewed by national media regarding the impact of diagnosis and support options for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. At the Redpath Centre Dori uses a strength-based solutions-focused and cognitive behavioural therapy approach to enhance the lives of those impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorders and related mental health issues.

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